'Lone Ranger' Fined $60K After Death of Production Crew Member

Following the death of a production crew member, Walt Disney Studio’s upcoming film “The Lone Ranger” has been fined $60,000 by California authorities who cited a number of labor violations.

After an investigation into the September drowning of a 48-year-old diver while cleaning a tank to be used in the shooting of an underwater scene, the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Silver Bullet Productions Inc. for a half dozen reasons.

The regulators accused the production company of seriously violating California labor code, claiming it did not have a standby diver available nor did it provide a medical examination to ensure the diver was fit to perform the duty as a diver. In addition, they claim the company did not make sure all diving team members were trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other life-saving techniques that might have been used during the incident.

The regulators also say Silver Bullet Productions Inc. did not appoint anyone as overseer of the diving operation, which took place at the Polsa Rosa Ranch, a 700-plus acre facility about 30 miles north of Los Angeles.

The $200 million movie was filmed in California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado and is set to be released in July. The film stars Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger and Depp plays the role of his Native American sidekick Tonto.